As Tuesday wore on, the fire’s voracious appetite led it westward, bearing down on the historic mansions that line the coast. The glitzy Hollywood premiere of “Unstoppable”, starring Jennifer Lopez, was unceremoniously axed as authorities issued a stark “evacuate now” order to residents.
In the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, home to a constellation of A-list celebrities, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services sounded the alarm, urging residents to “don’t wait, evacuate” as the blaze ballooned to 300 acres in a mere four hours.
Thick plumes of black smoke rose ominously, blanketing miles of traffic as people scrambled to escape. The California Department of Transportation took drastic measures, shutting down sections of the Pacific Coast Highway, save for evacuation lanes, to facilitate the exodus.
